The Final Statement

My final statement shall be to revise the short story, 'The Monkey's Paw'. I feel that the elements that are in the monkey's paw reflect all the reason's I really enjoy horror as a genre. Horror was one of my favorite genres this semester, and I wish we could have spent more time on the subject. I enjoy fantasy, it gets me out of the world and into another. But horror brings you back, screaming. I feel that they are good juxtapositions of one another. Horror reflects the worst things about reality, while fantasy can reflect the best, most exciting things. Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule, where the utopian fantasy of the future is far from the truth. Horror just happens to be the one that I enjoy reading more than any that I know of.
The short story 'The Monkey's Paw' reminds people of their own human nature. The ultimate truth is the truth of our own existence, and our own humanity. I always feel a great deal of empathy when I read this story. The feelings the story evokes pull me back to it and I seem to read it rather often. I read something in a book once which said, 'old stories are like old friends, you have to visit them once and awhile', and I definitely think this is the case. I could relate to the excitement the family felt at the prospect of some magic granting them extra riches they wouldn't otherwise have. The money wasn't incredibly substantial, either, as the family didn't entirely believe in the magic's existence. That was what made it even worse, I think, that the money they ultimately traded their son's life for was next to nothing compared to the life of the son. That comparison is rather haunting, and makes me think about my own priorities in life. What do I value most, and why? Constant questioning is always good for the mind, especially when it comes to how one values objects and people. If one's selfish desires interfere with one's ability to see clearly what makes them happy, only trouble will ensue. This is one of the first lessons 'The Monkey's Paw' teaches us.
After the parent's learn of their poor son's demise, and receive their petty amount, it's as if the story itself recoils in turmoil. There is a sudden stillness between the once loving and warm parents, neither one having the ability to think of anything else but their lost beloved son. Finally, the mother tormented with guilt, sorrow and longing can't think of any other solution but to turn once again to the very thing that caused the problem. As an outside looking in, it is rather easy to determine that nothing good will come of using the monkey's paw again. However, the mother in her state of mind sees it as the last that she might see her son once more. The only thing she can envision is her son's memory, and unfortunately, the husband out of both pity, terror and uncertainty acts upon his love's wishes. This eventually leads to the dead boy coming to the door, both parents realizing the horror that they have unleashed and wishing it away. This is one of the most interesting parts of the story, I think. It's the idea that even at life's worst, things can get even grimmer.
 That said, the course was extremely helpful and interesting. I can't wait to have more time to read even more off of the reading list!